Queensrÿche’s Todd La Torre is impressed by the staying power of some of rock and metal’s longest reigning bands. Speaking with Audio Ink Radio, La Torre commented on some of his favorite heritage groups, everyone from Iron Maiden to AC/DC.

When asked about what major classic metal and rock bands that are still together have done a great job of staying relevant, La Torre replied: “Oh, wow! Great question. A lot of bands, actually. You have Iron Maiden. They’ve been around a long time and have been active. Also, Judas Priest from that time. Maybe a different genre, but AC/DC never really stopped.”

He added, “In the thrash world, you have Testament and Overkill and Metallica and Slayer, and they’re all still active. Quite a few bands are out there are still active and still heavily touring and playing music. I think that after 30 or 35 years or whatever it is, that’s a long time!”

La Torre went on to praise Iron Maiden. “And there are still some bands out there that have gone on to be even bigger. Iron Maiden is a perfect example. They weren’t the commercially successful band in the sense of getting airplay on the radio. But they’re the biggest metal band in the world, as far as I’m concerned. They sell out arenas.”

“You know, rock and heavy metal have always been the underdogs of society and had that stigma, but it’s definitely not going away. It will never go away. Having a band like Queensrÿche still have the ability to play live shows and have people want to hear our new music is really awesome.”

Read Audio Ink Radio’s full interview with La Torre talking new music, touring and more here.